DILG to announce new war on drugs program next year

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. speaks to policemen during his command visit at Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr. in Cebu City on Tuesday, Dec. 27. (DALE ISRAEL / INQUIRER VISAYAS)

CEBU CITY — Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. on Tuesday announced there will be a “big statement” about the country’s war on drugs at the start of 2023.

In his command visit at Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr. in Cebu City, Abalos announced that the statement would come from him and Philippine National Police chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr.

While the performance of Azurin is praiseworthy, Abalos said he wanted a more intensified and holistic campaign against illegal drugs.

In an interview after his speech, Abalos said the details of the “pasabog sa bagong taon (New Year’s blast)” are still confidential.

He explained that the big announcement would be on a “matter of approach” in the campaign against illegal drugs.

“Everyone will have a role to play here,” Abalos said.

He said the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is working hard to end the narcotics problem of the country.

In the last five months, around P10 billion worth of illegal drugs were seized by policemen led by Azurin.

Abalos, however, cited that one of the huge drug hauls involved a policeman. Just recently, he said, another drug bust allegedly involved agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

“This is a bad sign. It is not good that a fellow policeman or PDEA agent were caught in the illegal drugs trade. This is not right,” he said.

“What is appalling here is that you caught a fellow law enforcer. Let’s see what our approach here is,” he added.

Abalos also reported that they are looking into the resurgence of e-sabong or the online gambling of cockfights, especially in Negros Oriental.

Abalos was joined by Azurin and Brigadier General Jerry Bearis, the new director of the Central Visayas police, at Camp Sergio Osmeña.

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